best to commemorate britain's longest reigning monarch. live from our studio in singapore, this is a bbc news. it is newsday. thank you for being with us. we begin in ukraine, where the country's generals are reporting significant progress in the counter—offensive against russia's invasion. they say their troops have breached the first line of russian defences in the south, near zaporizhzhia. general oleksandr tarnavsky told the observer newspaper that extensive minefields had blocked troops for several weeks, leaving them vulnerable to russian shelling and drone attacks. but the general has said that painstaking mine clearance has now allowed his forces to advance,

and they expect to face far weaker russian defences ahead. ukraine says its forces are making gains in the south of the country, and has recently expanded its units towards the strategic town of tokmak which is a logistical centre for russian forces. last week, ukraine's military said it had captured the village of robotyne in the zaporizhzhia region, amid a counteroffensive that is yielding incremental gains. sources in the ukrainian army have confirmed the breakthrough to the bbc. an adviser to president zelensky, aleksander rudnyansky, explained the significance for kyiv�*s forces. we've been waiting for this moment for quite some time. we've been hoping that we would pierce through the russian defence line, the first defence line, which was the hardest to pierce through, if you believe military experts when they talk about it. so hopefully now, when we reach the second and the third lines of defence that the russians have

established, those will be easier to essentially overcome. and perhaps hopefully this is the spot, this is the place where we can now actually put all the modern nato technology, the tanks that we've been getting and the training that we've been receiving, put all of that to use, to our advantage. hopefully, it's the key moment. again, we'll see what happens. it's hard to predict at any point, including at this point. but you know what the objectives are. we have a common objective of liberating ukraine, notjust for ukraine, but for the whole western developed democratic world, because this is a standoff between democracies and authoritarian systems, and it's really key for everybody to chip in. so hopefully this is a key moment. hopefully we'll be able to build on that and make sure that we liberate all of ukraine in its 1991 internationally recognised borders. our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams, has this assessment from kyiv. this offensive has been going on sincejune. and if you look at the map, you'll see just how little territory has actually been recaptured so far. the ukrainians argue that this first stage was always going to be among the hardest —

punching through those well—fortified russian defenses. the tank traps, the minefields, the trenches. they also believe, and perhaps this is also a hope, that the next lines, and there will be many, are going to be less well defended. and that ukrainian pounding of russian targets behind the front lines in recent weeks will have weakened the resolve of their opponents. so, all of that remains to be seen. and clearly they feel that at the moment they have an opportunity to press home their advantage. that gap in the russian line is tiny and ukrainian troops are working furiously to try and broaden it to make it big enough so they can send their armoured infantry, equipped with all of those western—supplied tanks and other vehicles through the gap, to try and move more quickly south in an attempt to try and cut russian—held, russian—controlled territory in two. that is the ultimate objective. will we see any of this happen in the nearfuture?

that's doubtful. and the americans have recently sounded pretty skeptical that that's an achievable objective, at least this year. but i think it's certainly true that, here in kyiv, there are some people hoping, quietly, that this is indeed a turning point. paul adams reporting there. meanwhile, president zelensky has announced he'll ask permission from parliament this week to dismiss the country's defence minister oleksii reznikov. he's been ukraine's defence minister since november 2021 and has played a key role in securing billions of dollars in western military aid. but his ministry has been dogged by corruption allegations. he'll be replaced with rustem umerov, the head of ukraine's main privatisation fund. here's president zelensky making the announcement. translation: this week, - parliament will be asked to make a staff—related decision.

i have decided to replace the minister of defence of ukraine. oleksii reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full—scale war. i believe the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole. meanwhile, the south african president cyril ramaphosa says an independent inquiry has found no evidence that weapons were loaded onto a russian ship in cape town bound for russia. the us ambassador to south africa had claimed the russian cargo ship lady r had picked up ammunition and arms in cape town last december and accused the country of supplying weapons to russia despite its claims of neutrality in the war in ukraine. president ramaphosa said the inquiry panel had no evidence to support the claim. when all matters are considered, none of the allegations made

about the supply of weapons to russia have been proven to be true, and none of the persons who made these allegations could provide any evidence to support the claims that had been levelled against our country. in the uk, the chancellorjeremy hunt says the government will "spend what it takes" to secure school buildings that are affected by crumbling concrete. labour has criticised what it called a "bare bones" response to a crisis. more than 100 schools have been forced to close buildings, and others could follow, because they contain a type of concrete called raac, which can fall apart after several decades. our home editor, mark easton, has the latest. after two days of terrible headlines and public anxiety about crumbling concrete in our schools... good morning, sir. good morning. -

..it was the chancellor who took to the airwaves to try and reassure parents that the government had matters under control. appearing on the laura kuenssberg programme, mr hunt said ministers would do whatever was necessary to keep schoolchildren safe. we will spend what it takes to sort out this problem as quickly as possible. so, do you commit to covering whatever costs are required to remove all of this dangerous concrete from schools around the country? we will spend what it takes to make sure that children can go to school safely, yes. the chancellor has insisted the government acted fast when the dangers of school ceilings unexpectedly falling on children came to light, but did they? injuly 2018, a staff room ceiling suddenly collapsed at a primary school in kent. crumbling raac beams were blamed, and in december of that year the government warned every school authority to beware the dangers. in may 2019, a committee of structural experts went further, advising that catastrophic failure could happen without warning, with the possibility

of injury or death. but it wasn't until march 2022, almost three years later, that the government sent out a questionnaire asking schools if they had raac in their buildings. in december last year, they issued new guidance, with photos showing examples of school ceilings which could suddenly fall in. then, over the last two months, further unexpected collapses prompted the current crisis. the risks from failing raac beams have been known about for decades, but government checks on school buildings have only been visual, surveyors not even expected to remove ceiling tiles to identify critical structural problems behind. the labour party says cuts in school maintenance budgets have put lives at risk. i can think of a no more defining image about the last 13 years of conservative government than children being sat in classrooms under metal props to prevent the ceilings literally falling in on their heads. it is scandalous.

we're working to make sure that there is minimal- disruption to education. the education secretary is hoping that this departmental video posted on youtube will console worried parents. but this is not a crisis that will be sorted out in days or even weeks. but the safety of students and all of those working in our schools is my number one priority. and it's notjust schools like this one in england that are affected. 35 schools in scotland are known to have raac, and education authorities across the uk are looking at what needs to be done. as of now, we simply don't know exactly which classroom ceilings in which schools might be at risk. mark easton, bbc news. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. migrant crossings in the english channel reached their highest number on saturday for the year. the home office says 872

people made the crossing yesterday on 15 vessels. almost 21,000 migrants have made the journey so far this year. that's around 4,000 fewer than this time last year. the opposition labour leader, sir keir starmer, is expected to reshuffle his top team on monday. the change to the shadow cabinet coincides with mps returning to westminster from their summer break. there is speculation over what role he may give his deputy leader, angela rayner. taiwan is being battered by its biggest storm in four years. a strong typhoon has brought winds of up to 190 kilometres an hour. 0ur reporter, nicky schiller, is in the newsroom with more. the storm gathered pace as it approached taiwan, and what you can see behind me is one of the government webcams, where you can see the torrential

rain pounding the lens. it is predicted in some areas that there could be at least half a metre of rain by monday. with those winds of 190 kilometres an hour, it's no surprise that trees and power lines have been brought down in several coastal towns, causing, as you can see, damage to vehicles. the state—run taiwan power company says it is working hard to restore electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. all domestic flights were cancelled on sunday. roads have also been damaged, with the authorities warning that there is a risk of landslides in some mountainous districts. thousands of people have been moved to evacuation centres, whilst others are staying sheltering in their homes, although they have been told to stay away from windows in case they get broken by flying debris in those strong winds. the military have mobilised soldiers and equipment to help with those evacuation efforts

and the flood relief. taiwan has escaped any direct hits by major storms since 2019. although the typhoon is expected to cause extensive damage, it is passing over a relatively sparsely populated area of the island. it will then move, forecasters say, across the taiwan strait and into china. this summer has seen another series of major wildfires around the world. researchers say forest fires are becoming more widespread and more intense. here's our science editor, rebecca morelle. at times this summer, it has felt like the world is on fire. flames racing across swathes of land, destroying homes and lives. the images are unforgettable. but how bad has this wildfire season been? looking at the total area affected by fire so far, this has not been an unusual year, although we are only part way through it.

but there are some exceptions. in europe, greece has seen some extreme fires, one the largest ever recorded in europe. but in countries like portugal and romania, the area burned has been below average. over in canada, huge fires have been raging for months, their worst wildfire season on record. but in the us, it has been quiet. in california, a wet winter and cool spring has lowered the fire risk. in hawaii, though, the fire was small but its impact was enormous. the death toll is still rising, making 2023 the deadliest year for wildfires this century. hawaii kind of shows that you can have a really intense fires as well and it is the intensity of the fires as well, rather than the size, but how hot it was, how fast it spread and how easily it spread. it kind ofjust shows that those fires can be devastating and, you know, with the amount of people who have lost their lives. so, what is the overall trend? are wildfires increasing?

the answer is not straightforward. this shows how the total area of burnt land is changing over time. the line is going down, the areas decreasing year—on—year. it is driven by a fall in savannah fires, mainly in africa, part of the natural cycle. they make up about 70% of that total area burned. but as land use changes, the area is getting smaller. forest fires, on the other hand, cover a much smaller area but they are becoming more widespread. 0n the forest area around the world, especially outside of the tropics, we have seen a substantial increase in fire, notjust in area burned but also in intensity of fire. this is where we see all those big implications. they generate a lot of smoke, they generate a lot of carbon emissions. if they are close to population centres, they can be deadly. as parts of the world battle wildfires, what is the impact of climate change? climate change is leading to hotter and drier conditions, helping wildfires to take hold.

scientists estimate that, since 1979, the global fire season is now 27% longer, and the united nations projects that extreme fires could increase by 50% by the end of this century. where the fires occur is also shifting. we're also seeing this trend of wildfire activity _ going further north, i which is why in the uk, over the last five years, _ we have seen a kind of upward trend as well in wildfire activity. the northern hemisphere season is not over yet, and summer is just starting in the southern hemisphere, so all eyes will be on what happens next. rebecca morelle, bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. bbc news, bringing you different stories from across the uk. meet the litter man of leicestershire, scott gibbins. whether it's car parks,

pavements or lay—bys, scott's there with his bags and litter—picker. i'm out most times early doors because i beat the traffic and all that. but i'm out a couple of hours on a saturday, i do a group—pick on sunday for two or three hours and i do a pick before the group—pick. and then at work, i'll work at a big airfield and i'll try and pick at least one or two bags every day there. you're quite dedicated. addicted, and dedicated. absolutely love it, absolutely love it. you've got the fresh air, exercise, a sense of achievement when you look back at what you've done and how many bags you've filled. i do it for the wildlife. so far this year, he's filled around 900 bags. that works out very roughly at three tonnes of litter. scott, who's 55 next week, says as long as there's litter around, he can't help but pick it up. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news.

one person has died during the burning man arts and culture festival in nevada. it follows torrential rains which have trapped tens of thousands of people at the festival's desert site. david willis is there. # i wanna know, have you ever seen the rain? # they've seen it here — what is thought to be the longest, heaviest rainfall since this festival was launched 37 years ago. the day before people were due to start heading home, the dusty desert sand was transformed into thick clay, prompting organisers to lock the gates to anyone seeking to enter or leave. and they will remain closed until the ground hardens, allowing the tens of thousands of vehicles to leave through narrow desert roads without getting bogged down in the mud. when that happens depends on the weather, of course, and there are further thunderstorms forecast.

the advice to those stranded in the ankle—deep mud is conserve food, fuel and water supplies because it is unclear when they'll be leaving. this is hard. i'm sad. when are we getting out of here? that is a really good question! everyone says, your guess is as good as mine. this week—long festival transforms a remote area of north—western nevada into a sprawling desert city but, even before the event got under way, organisers were dealing with flooding caused by the remnants of hurricane hilary. burning man culminates with a large wooden effigy being set alight. depending on the weather, that may not happen for several more days. david willis, bbc news, in black rock city, nevada. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. several weather warnings have been issued across spain as heavy rain causes major flooding across parts

of the country. maximum red weather alerts have been in place in the madrid, toledo and cadiz regions. residents in madrid have been asked to stay at home due to "the exceptional and abnormal" rainfall. australia says it will send additional police to the solomon islands to boost security for the pacific games in november, keeping them there untiljune to assist with a general election. the australian police contingent arrived in december 2021 to quell anti—government riots, while chinese police trainers arrived this year to prepare for the games. china has donated and constructed stadiums and other venues for the games. the boss of one of the world's largest supermarket chains, tesco, has called for laws to be toughened to protect shop workers from increasing attacks. mark ashdown reports.

why are you touching me? what are you touching me for? get out now. what are you touching me for? a body—worn camera captures a suspected shoplifter, unleashing a torrent of abuse. the british retail consortium found there are now 850 attacks on retail staff every single day, almost double the number before the covid pandemic. staff report being sworn at, spat at, racially and sexually insulted, and verbally and physically abused. the boss of britain's biggest retailer, tesco, says enough is enough. writing in the mail on sunday, ken murphy said... after the co—op and waitrose started using body—worn cameras, tesco will now offer them to any staff working face—to—face with customers. but does it work?

clearly, there are some people who just don't care, but what it does do is make some people think twice. it makes them realise that, you know, they are on camera, that their conflict is actually being recorded. obviously, it is also a huge cost to the retailers and it is a cost which ultimately gets borne by the customer in terms of, you know, the prices we see in stores. 0ne former security manager at asda told us the squeeze on household budgets is also having an impact. i think with the economic situation, more people are desperate, so they are willing to use violence to get the items that they need. in scotland, abusing staff is a specific criminal offence, which industry leaders want to see extended across the uk. body—worn cameras are just one tactic in the ongoing fight against retail crime, which costs the industry £1.8 billion every year. marc ashdown, bbc news. almost a year on from the death of the queen elizabeth ii, there are plans for

a permanent memorial. a specially formed committee will consult the public and the royal family in choosing an appropriate tribute, to be unveiled in 2026. 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph has more. a nice statue of her with a water feature around it, where people could throw money which could be gathered to support the charities that the queen supported when she was alive. but nothing too ostentatious and in—your—face. and it's striking that balance in terms of how you immortalise her. a traditional park with horses, j where people can learn to ride horses, new horse riders coming in, i butjust keep it very traditional. . and it doesn't get much more traditional than the queen victoria memorial, dominating the view outside buckingham palace, an imposing tribute to a monarch. queen victoria got this huge memorial in a prime location, but queen elizabeth ii reigned for longer, arguably during more turbulent times. so does she need something bigger, better orjust different? archive: it was sir winston - churchill who proposed three years

ago that a national memorial - to king george vi be established. in 1955, the young queen elizabeth unveiled a statue to her own father on the mall in central london. a wartime king, it is a traditional, even austere interpretation of him. a statue of his daughter would tell a different story. 0ne sculptor who worked with the late queen has her own ideas. i feel that there should be somewhere on the sculpture where you can press a button and you hear her voice. because i very often find when you walk around london and you see the sculptures, you know, you perhaps don't notice them all. the location of the memorial will be crucial. some have suggested the fourth plinth in trafalgar square, although it's now a successful showcase for contemporary art. the public will be consulted in the months ahead, and it looks like some will have an alternative take on a fitting tribute. i would say maybe a form of music.

a song by a famous british artist. what about lots of flowers, right? like a park and, yeah, - just like a really elaborate, like, flower thing. i think it would be l pretty appropriate. i think a statue, because this generation loves photos and you need somewhere to take a photo. daniela relph, bbc news. now, before we go, we had to show you these pictures out of denmark. you may have heard mozart peform but probably not like this — by barking dogs. take a listen. dogs bark along t0 orchestra i don't quite know

what to say to that. what i can tell you is the three dogs who performed, cookie, sophus and sica, were chosen for their barking skills. the concert in copenhagen featured the danish chamber orchestra and the piece the dogs barked to was by leopold mozart, the father of wolfgang amadeus. thank you for watching. hello. we have a very warm week of weather in prospect. in fact, it could turn out to be some of the warmest weather of the year so far. the highest temperature we recorded

over the summer was all the way back injune at 32.2 celsius. this week we are expected to get to 30 celsius, but some places could getjust a little bit warmer than that. certainly some very warm or even hot weather in the outlook with plenty of strong sunshine, butjust a little bit of mist and fog here and there, some to start monday morning, particularly across parts of southwest scotland, but a few patches elsewhere tending to lift and clear very quickly. could getjust a little bit warmer than that. certainly some very warm or even hot weather in the outlook with plenty of strong sunshine, butjust a little bit of mist and fog here and there, some to start monday morning, particularly across parts of southwest scotland, but a few patches elsewhere tending to lift and clear very quickly. and then we will see lots of sunshine, a little bit breezy down towards the far southwest, the far north of scotland, but really only the western and northern isles seeing more cloud and a few splashes of rain. temperatures in eastern scotland up to 25, 26 degrees. parts of central and south eastern england could well get to 29. through monday night, it stays dry with clear skies. still, this weather front in the far north of scotland with a few splashes of rain and maybe the odd shower into the far south west of england by the end of the night, 16

there in plymouth to start tuesday morning. a very warm start, but a mild start elsewhere as well. for tuesday, this area of low pressure swirling to the south west of us mayjust introduce the odd shower across the south west of england, parts of wales, possibly northern ireland, weatherfronts in northern scotland will be weakening elsewhere. lots more sunshine and plenty of warmth as well, although a slight shift in the wind direction will bring a slightly cooler day in the eastern side of scotland. 21 there for aberdeen further south, 27, possibly 28 degrees. as we move into wednesday, this area of high pressure changes shape, shifts to the east of us and we start to bring the winds up from the south. so another surge of very warm air. wednesday is the day when some places could get up to 30 celsius or possibly even a little bit higher than that. a few patches of mist and fog around some of the coasts. but elsewhere it's a story of warmth and sunshine. and as we head towards the end of the week, we stick with the same theme. temperatures could still get close to 30 degrees on thursday, only very, very slowly will it turn more unsettled from the west.

you're watching bbc news. the latest news headlines follow at the top of the hour, after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. whatever we call them — extreme right, far right or ultra nationalist — it's clear parties far to the right of the conservative mainstream are gaining ground across europe. perhaps most significant,

and to many europeans, most alarming, is the rise of the afd — alternative for deutschland — in germany. they're running second in national polls and winning local elections. my guest is peter boehringer, vice chairman of the afd. is his party stirring sentiments that threaten german stability? peter boehringer in munich, welcome to hardtalk. good afternoon, stephen. good to hear you again. well, it's great to have you on the show.

and i dare say you are delighted to look at german national opinion